Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires - Season 1
by CMANsurvives
Summary: Max Jumper defends multitudes of kingdoms and empires on his quest to find his purpose in life.
1. Episode 1

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 1: Shattered Crystal

Written by Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives

"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding."

-Albert Einstein

Ext. Outskirts of the Crystal Empire

Time: 2:02 PM

He woke up to a dark mist, red lights flashing through it, creating glowing crimson rays all around him. He looked up. Above the bright lights there was nothing but blackness. The lights stopped flashing. Good, that meant that the bombardment was over. Now came the real battle; the hoof to hoof, horn to horn, wing to wing battle that would soon become a war. The peace that had been in the Crystal Empire would be over, and the only good thing about it was the fact that the slaves to King Sombra would be freed and leave the terrible place.

However, in the dazed pegasus' eyes, there was no good thing at all. The slaves were the citizens, and his job was meant to keep the citizens inside of the empire at all times. Even now, they were probably being freed from their camps by the Canterlot army. No doubt that the great King Sombra himself would be pitted up against Canterlot's two princesses: Celestia and Luna. He looked up to see pegasi flying over him, on their way towards the Crystal Palace. Most likely from Canterlot. He looked around as the smoke cleared, preparing for whatever might come out of it.

What he saw appalled him. The battle line had pushed back further than he expected. Had he not have been knocked out by some lucky catapult shot, he would have led his troops and pushed out the forces of their opponents. But he must have been knocked out for some time; at least enough time for Celestia and Luna to arrive and turn the tides. King Sombra had expected him to handle Celestia and Luna, but now the king would be forced to battle them. Max Jumper, whom had been entrusted with being the general of the entire army of the Crystal Empire, had failed.

"I've failed," he said out loud, just to beat himself up. He felt no pity for himself; in fact, he had been trained to never feel pity for anyone. He was a soldier, but not just that. He was King Sombra's only advisor, only assistant, and only general. Max Jumper was everything to King Sombra. And now he had failed him. So what? The Crystal Empire had come too far to crumble apart now. The army was strong enough; they only needed to be reassembled. Max galloped as fast as he could towards the castle. Time was short, and the end would be nigh if he did not make it.

Int. Crystal Castle, King Sombra's Throne Room

Time: 2:07 PM

Princess Celestia was down; knocked out. She would not open her eyes again for hours. The unicorn King Sombra laughed over what he thought was a dead corpse. He turned towards Luna, whom was standing firm in her hatred for the king. "Oh, Princess Luna," he said, sarcastic sorrow in his voice, "It appears that your sister is… deceased." He laughed deeply as his dark magic swirled around him, shielding him from Luna's array of attacks. "Come on, Miss Luna," he reasoned, "You have nothing left to look forward to. Your life in Canterlot is over. Aw, hay, your life in Equestria is over, period! Join me, and we will rule over this land with iron hooves. We will become unstoppable!"

"No, Sombra," she responded, not giving into the fear of her sister's death that was trying to break into her heart.

"'No, Sombra.' That's your answer? Really? I truly expected more from someone like you, princess, especially because of your… dark origins."

"I know not from where I began," the Princess of the Night replied solemnly, "But it matters not. This day shall be your undoing!" She let out all of the alicorn magic she possessed… yet it was still not enough to break through King Sombra's shield.

The dark and evil king laughed. "You truly think you can defeat someone as powerful as me with your foolish alicorn magic? Please, in order to defeat someone such as me, you have to give in to the darkness within. So why don't you give in, princess? Why don't you?"

Little did Sombra know that she already was.

Ext. Crystal Palace, Front Door

Time: 2:18 PM

Max Jumper killed as many soldiers as he could as he entered the palace doors. As expected, the battle was raging on mostly in the main hall. To think that it had come to this, and then to think that it could all have been prevented… but now was not the time to think of changing the past. Now it was time to create a secure future for the empire forever. The blades attached to his wings swung around as he turned and slashed at the necks of the Canterlot stallions. He somersaulted over a few more of the soldiers and allowed for the knives sheathed in his sides to fall on top of their unsuspecting heads.

Once he landed, he jumped right back up again, and by shear leg power, he rose fifty feet into the air and came back down to break the backs of more Canterlot soldiers. That was the thing about Max Jumper; he never used his wings. It wasn't that they didn't work or were handicapped in some way, it was just that he liked to use his legs more. Your body is a weapon, and should be treated as such. That sort of mindset was one of the factors that led to King Sombra choosing him as the general of his Crystal Army, among many other reasons.

Max passed by more soldiers as he ran up the stairs towards the throne room. He hoped he wasn't too late. Two guards who were fighting broke open the throne room door to let him in, and then quickly shut it, locked it, and barred it behind him. It was the last thing they ever did. Inside the throne room, Max realized that the secret staircase had been opened. Celestia had been knocked out. He heard noises; noises that sounded like bursts of magic going back and forth. He looked down into the abyss of the stairway and saw flickering lights. There was never any light down there, which could mean only one thing: Princess Luna was down there, and so was the king.

Int. Crystal Palace, the Secret Staircase

Time: 2:31 PM

King Sombra was having the fight of his life. Now he knew what was going to happen. He had unleashed Nightmare Moon, not the Princess of the Night, but the Princess of the Darkness. Her power was uncontrollable, and she could not be stopped. "You wanted the darkness," she mocked him, "Well, you've got it!" She fired a black blast from her horn, and it shattered Sombra's shield. The next blow would kill him, he was sure of it. In one final desperate attempt to save his own life, Sombra let out a beam of his own evil magic, and so did Nightmare Moon.

The black flames met, forcing each other back and forth, but Sombra was getting weaker. He could not hold up for much longer. Then, out of nowhere, Max Jumper landed on top of Nightmare Moon, knocking the air out of her and sending her to the ground. "Max!" Sombra shouted, relieved, "How did you get down here so quickly?"

"I jumped," Max smiled. But the smile was not to last long. Nightmare Moon recovered quickly and fired one last shot, but this time, it was not at Sombra. It was aimed at the top of the king's throne room. Once the beam hit, the Crystal Palace began to disappear. In fact, the entire empire began to disappear, from the top to the bottom.

"Max…" King Sombra's voice was cut off as he vanished from Max Jumper's view. Celestia fell from the floor that had once been there, and Princess Luna caught her, no longer Nightmare Moon. But Max knew that the darkness was still in her. He hid from the many soldiers around him. His army had gone with the empire, and now he had nothing.

The Crystal Empire had been broken, and it was all his fault.

He had failed.

END of Episode 1.

Notes from the author (Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives):

-Hello! Thanks for reading my story. I'll continue it when this story gets enough views. Please leave a review, it really helps! I love to improve.

-This story will eventually tie into the storyline of the FanFic called "BlazingWing's Adventure." Take a look at that story. I'm the editor for it. This makes it better. DON'T TELL DONNY I SAID THAT!

-I _was_ going to make this chapter go along with the YouTube video "Fall of the Crystal Empire," but I had my own ideas. Maybe it could still work with it, but, whatever. Who cares? I'm awesome.

-#HayBrowns

-Don't ask me why it's a hashtag, just read BlazingWing's Adventure episode 2 and you'll understand.

-Yes, I know "Shattered Crystal" has to do with Sonic Boom. No relation is intended. SEGA and Big Red Button stole my freakin' title. Deal with it.


	2. Episode 2

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 2: Nomad's Land

Written by Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives

Ext. Far Beyond the Outskirts of the Crystal Empire

Time: 11:57 PM

Max Jumper, protector of the Crystal Empire, was now reduced to nothing. No home, no purpose, and no life. He had been reduced to becoming a Traveler; a pony who seeks shelter and guidance in the dark times of their lives, with no true hope of ever regaining their prime happiness and wealth. He had been a powerful young stallion, but now his life beside King Sombra's throne was done and over with. He had no goal in life. It was time to get a new job.

The pegasus stretched. He was tired, but not because of the journey, it was just because walking was too easy. And perhaps also the fact that it was midnight. He had developed so much strength in his legs that walking felt like standing, and not even that; it felt like sitting. Max bet that he could fall asleep while walking. He looked around, taking in the winter-like blizzard that was raging all around him. All he could see was white, faded by the darkness of the night, but it didn't matter. He knew the path to the nearest city, and he had traveled it many times over the years. At only age 18, he was incredibly smart. Some called him a genius, but he only knew of himself as a warrior.

After hours of marching through the thrashing winds and freezing snowflakes, Max Jumper arrived at the city of Maneton. No one could ever ask for a more normal and average town. It was the same all year round, but this year, the disappearance of the Crystal Empire that had normally absorbed the power of the winter before it could get to the other cities and kingdoms had caused the snow to blow down on this place in a fast flurry. As he walked through the wooden gateway leading to the center of the town, he noticed that there was one single solitary soul sitting by a fire in the middle of the square.

It was a unicorn, with a larger horn than normal and a beard flowing in the wind. He was levitating a blue cape and hat with jingling bells attached to prevent them from flying away in the strong breeze. Max Jumper knew who it was; he had seen him before. It was Starswirl the Bearded, an enemy of the Crystal Empire. But the Crystal Empire was gone, and Max was willing to take help from anyone who was willing. He was surprised that Starswirl had remained so nearby the empire after being defeated and banished from it. Max sat down beside the unicorn. Perhaps Starswirl wouldn't recognize him.

"Actually, I do."

Max was hardly startled. He could not forget the powerful wizard's mind-reading capabilities. "Hello, Starswirl," he said, trying to hide the sorrow inside his soul.

But the wizard unicorn could see everything that Max was trying to hold back. "Your empire is gone. You are sad."

"I'm not sad," Max replied, head held high.

"Oh, but you are," Starswirl insisted, "So very unhappy. The Crystal Empire was your whole life. Well, some of it, that is." Max knew what he was getting at. Eight years prior, Max Jumper had woken up in the grasp of King Sombra with amnesia, not remembering anything from his past. Sombra had raised him and dubbed him Max Jumper, because of his ability to jump higher than any other pony in the entirety of Equestria.

"Yeah," Max replied softly as his head began to droop, "It was a big part of my heart."

"And now it has vanished," the bearded pony finished, "So what will you do now, with such a reputation as yours now gone with the empire you were protecting?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll think of something."

"You know," Starswirl suggested, "You could try getting a job in that blacksmith's shop over there. That place is in need of some strong hooves like yours…"

"No, Starswirl the Bearded," Max interrupted, "I am not here to get a job. I'm just passing by for the day."

"Oh, so you're a nomad now, like me?"

Max Jumper almost strangled the unicorn wizard for calling him such a thing. "Excuse me," he said haughtily, "A nomad? You would call the likes of me a _nomad_?"

"Now don't you get snippy with me, young fellow," Starswirl chided, "I'm the one with the upper hand here. If you're going to start a fight, you'd better prepare to get your flank spanked."

Max heaved out a sigh of frozen air. "I apologize, wizard, for my behavior."

"No need to apologize to me," the unicorn laughed, "I never say sorry to anyone. It's one of the perks of being an old man. You get to insult as many earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and even alicorns as you like without ever having to apologize. Oh, the benefits of being an aged and experienced wizard are endless."

"They ask you for guidance," Max laughed, "And all they get is offensive jokes?" His face turned into a solemn frown. "Sounds like what you were like when my king asked about the future of the empire. But, even though you were offending him, you were still correct…"

"Yes. Because of him, the empire has been forced into a void of nothingness for the next thousand years. A pity, it was such a pretty place, except for the spiky rocks Sombra put everywhere. I swear I could have seen blood on a lot of them."

"That's because there was blood on most of them, and of course only you would refer to them as 'spiky rocks.'"

Starswirl snickered.

"But now that I think of it, you were only half-right about the prophesy."

Starswirl stopped smiling. "What do you mean by that, m'boy?"

"Well, it wasn't necessarily King Sombra's fault."

"It was his fault when he took over the empire," Starswirl concluded, "And that's that."

"You know how I was going to finish, don't you?"

"I don't want to think about it. I don't want it to happen. It's not going to happen. It will never happen."

"What will never happen? Princess Luna turning into the dreaded Nightmare Moon and sending the Crystal Empire to who knows where?"

Starswirl got up and secured his hat and cape to his head and back. "I'm sorry," he said, "I have to go to Canterlot much sooner than expected."

"For what?"

"To warn Princess Celestia of what's about to transpire. There is a way to prevent this destiny that she thinks is the only possibility, when in reality there are so many more choices she can make."

"What will happen if you do not deliver this news?"

"Then Celestia will banish her sister Luna to the moon for no absolute reason," Starswirl replied furiously as he bustled off.

Max Jumper cricked his neck and made his way to the nearest tavern to get himself a meal. Meanwhile, Starswirl the Bearded galloped as fast as his old bones would carry him to the edge of the town. It was time to get back to Canterlot.

Ext. Halfway from Maneton to Canterlot

Time: 1:32 PM

Having eaten a good meal, Max Jumper had headed off after Starswirl the Bearded, and now could see the dark silhouette of the tired, old wizard. "Starswirl," he said, "You haven't gotten very far for trying to be so urgent. What's the hold-up?"

"I'm old," the wizard wheezed heavily. After a few minutes of bumping and bustling around, Max Jumper finally convinced Starswirl to rest on his back as he carried him to Canterlot himself. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon" he encouraged in deep breaths as he galloped for the boundaries of all that he knew. In less than thirty seconds, he would be going beyond anywhere he ever remembered traveling after he had been found by Sombra. The journey was long, but Max Jumper was a strong pony. He would not give up so easily to the biting cold and the pain of running for so long.

_What pain?_ he thought to himself. His legs felt invincible. They would carry him and the pony resting crosswise on his back all the way to Canterlot. It didn't seem so far away now. Just a few more hours… a few more minutes… a few more seconds…

And then, they were in Canterlot.

Ext. Canterlot Castle

Time: 5:47 PM

Max Jumper sat down at the majestic palace gates of the Canterlot Castle, and Starswirl fell off his back with a snort. The wizard sat up, alert. "Whawazzat?" he said quickly. He was speaking so fast you could barely make out the words. Starswirl relaxed once he saw that he was sitting at the entrance to the splendid castle in front of him. "Thank you, Max Jumper," he said gratefully to his companion.

"Don't mention it," Max replied humbly.

"Oh, but I say…"

"Don't."

"Alright," Starswirl laughed, "But it is written in the stars that we shall meet again, and I will be mentioning it like I've never mentioned anything before."

"Wait," Max interrupted, "We'll meet again?"

"Er, perhaps I shouldn't have brought it up." Starswirl the Bearded the unicorn wizard removed his saddle bags from Max's back and put them on his own. "But at least you have a little something to look forward to in your future." He began to trot toward the gate.

"How far into the future will you return to me?"

Starswirl stopped moving. He was silent for a few seconds before turning back to Max and answering: "For you it will not be so long. For me, it will seem like an eternity. And for the record, when we meet," he finished off, "It will be _you_ who returns to _me_." He then whispered something to one of the palace guards, and they let him in.

Max smiled. The wizard had whispered as loud as he possibly could, just so Mr. Jumper could hear it. Max turned away from the gates, walking in the opposite direction of the powerful and ancient bearded one. He would never forget the words that Starswirl had indirectly whispered to him on purpose:

_Empire of my soul, do not rest in darkness._

END of Episode 2

Notes from the Author (Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives):

-"Indirectly whispered to him on purpose…" Why do those words just make me laugh?

-I'll upload the next part once I receive a few reviews. Or once I feel like it. I really like writing, and when I write, I do it really fast and I want everyone to read what I have to write. Man, I love that word: write. Wow, I could go on for hours about writing. You guys should try it.

-DONNY, THAT LAST SENTENCE THAT MR. BEARDED PONE SAYS IS AN ALLUSION TO YOUR STUFF, BRO.

-Beards are awesome, and so are old dudes.

To be continued in…

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 3: The Eternal Night


	3. Episode 3

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 3: The Eternal Night

Written by: Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives

Ext. Downtown Canterlot

Time: 7:30 PM

Max trotted down the streets of downtown Canterlot, passing by many shops selling spices, charms, and fruits. He strolled up to a stand selling rare mangoes. The shopkeeper was large and muscular, with multiple tattoos covering his body depicting bloody wars. "If I'm correct," Max said to the brawny stallion, "You aren't just selling mangoes here."

The shopkeeper snorted in response, then gestured for Max to follow him. The building behind the mango stand apparently had a secret hatch that only could be opened from the other side. The stallion looked around before giving the secret knock on the wooden wall, and it promptly opened as the red unicorn on the other side pulled on the handle. Max and the shopkeeper walked into a room full of swords, bows and arrows, shields, and other miscellaneous gadgets, most of which Max had never seen before.

They were illegally selling all these weapons, as he had expected. The shopkeeper finally spoke with a deep, relaxed but urgent accent. "Pick what you want and buy it. There's not much time, so hurry up and choose wisely."

"'Hurry up' and 'choose wisely' don't exactly fit well in the same sentence," Max replied to the somewhat harsh voice.

"I don't care," the shopkeeper confessed, "Just pick quickly. The police here are very thorough when searching for those like us."

"Alright then," Max said calmly, "I'll choose." The pegasus' legs moved slowly but his eyes moved like lightning. He knew a good weapon when he saw one, and when it came to deciding which one to take with him on his journeys, it'd never take long. He pointed at a heavy-looking, roughly edged blade that was sitting on a table. "Shopkeeper, what is that sword over there called?"

"It's a very new type of weapon; just came in from Saddle Arabia," the big pony explained, "It has no name, but many just call it 'Demon Cleaver.'"

"Has this one been in any particular battles already?"

"Not that I know of, and I know everything about these weapons."

"I'll take it. How much is it?"

"800 bits," the shopkeeper answered, "No less, but more is acceptable."

Max had the amount to pay, but he was set on conserving all of his money. "How about 600 bits to pay for it?"

"When I say no less, I mean no less," the shopkeeper said resolutely, "And that's final."

"Give me the cleaver, and then I'll give you the money."

"Excuse me," the red unicorn laughed, "But you expect us to trust you with that? Not a chance."

"Well, sadly, you're smarter than the other illegal sellers of weaponry I've seen before. You know how to run your business well and without getting caught. I guess I'll have to pay up." Max leaped high into the air, then pushed off of the ceiling and slammed into the shopkeeper. Blood spattered out of the unlucky stallion's mouth as his jaw broke, and he uttered a cry of pain. The red unicorn instantly held Max in place before he could do any more damage as the shopkeeper tried to push his jaw back into place with his hooves.

"You have to heal Garratt, Benjamin," one of the other ponies in the hidden shop commented. He was blue with a dark grey mane, and had a look of complete sternness on his face.

"I can't do that, Elisha," Benjamin, the red unicorn said franticly; "Only alicorns have the power to pull off two spells at once." Max was trying really hard to move, but the unicorn holding him was steadfast and wasn't about to break concentration.

"If you are to become the King of the Kingdom of the Everfree Forest," replied the blue pony, Elisha, "Then you need to learn to master the powers of an alicorn. Only those with such power as that can take the throne, and you need it especially since you aren't even next in line to that throne."

Benjamin lost all concentration on Max and snapped at Elisha. "I _am_ next in line!" He was about to unleash an extreme amount of energy on the blue pony when Max tornado-kicked him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Max grabbed the blade he wanted and placed a sack of money in its place. "600 bits exactly," he said as he nodded at Elisha, "And tell your friend to drop the ideas of becoming a king. He'd be a lousy one." He left them there in the chaos he had created, and Elisha began to help his friends make sense of it.

Int. Canterlot Castle, Throne Room

Time: 7:40 PM

"That's not true, Starswirl, I will not believe that my sister has given in to such darkness."

"But I have foreseen it," the wizard insisted, "I didn't want to believe it at first, either, but there was a survivor in the disappearance of the Crystal Empire, and he told me what Princess Luna had done to make it disappear…"

"_Sombra made it disappear!_" Celestia yelled back at the wise one, "Not her! Not my sister; not Luna! She would never do such an evil thing."

"But Celestia, it wasn't your sister, it was Nightmare Moon. She has returned through the body of Luna and will now proceed to create an eternal night in Equestria! You must know that this is true."

"I won't listen, I won't!"

"You have to."

"I don't have to do anything," Celestia sobbed, "Now get out, you stupid unicorn, leave Canterlot; no, leave Equestria _forever_!"

"No, Celestia, I will not leave. You are sad because you think that banishment to the moon will be the only way to get rid of her, but there is another path that will not lead to such sadness that you will have to endure. I know of a way to extract Nightmare Moon from Luna's body, therefore causing her to leave."

"But then she will inhabit another body, and how will we get rid of her then? We can't kill Nightmare, otherwise that would lead to a war with the Moon Ponies."

"Trust me, I have a plan, as long as she already hasn't turned into what she is most likely destined to become."

"Follow me," Celestia commanded, "I know where she is." They walked into the basement of the castle, in which resided the dungeons, containing multiple creatures and evil ponies that had plotted to take over Equestria for themselves. Before Starswirl realized it, he was in one of the cells. "Wait, what are you doing?!" he questioned, shocked that Celestia had come to do this.

"I'm going to banish Nightmare Moon," she said, "My sister is already dead." Her mood had changed from sadness to solemnity, anger, and passion; the three emotions that had helped her to become a princess.

"No, Celestia, this doesn't have to happen!"

"You predicted this," she replied, "It cannot be undone."

"The future isn't set! Something different from what I told you so long ago can be changed! I'm not always right."

"Well," she said in finality, "You're right this time." She left him behind as he yelled and shouted. The portal to Tartarus in the back of his cell began to tug at him.

Ext. The Canterlot Gardens

Time: 8:06 PM

Clouds swirled above as Max Jumper walked through the famed Canterlot Gardens. He didn't feel any wind, so this was obviously not the result of a tornado that was trying to start up. There was something else in the clouds; a pure darkness that had been sleeping for so long had woken up. Max felt like it was time to test his new Demon Cleaver. He started off towards the center of the hole, where there would no doubt be someone there to fight. It was high time to get his revenge.

As Max ran around the castle grounds, a few guards noticed him, and began chasing him. Once they were close enough, a quick swing of his weapon split both their hearts open at the same time, and they fell to the ground as their blood reddened the grass all around them. Max rushed on, not caring to clean up the mess. The more he ran, the more he realized that the circle of clouds was centered above the inside of the castle. He'd have to break in, and he knew exactly how it would be done. With one mighty shove of his legs, he leaped over the high citadel walls and landed on castle grounds.

"Now," he whispered to himself coldly, "The princesses shall be no more." All Max could think of was vengeance. He galloped off to get inside, but before he could, an explosion was heard, and three figures shot out of the side of the throne room. Max recognized two of them: Celestia and Luna, the second of whom had now apparently fully formed into Nightmare Moon. The third he could not recognize at all. It was definitely an alicorn and most likely a female, but she seemed too small and too young to be a princess. He decided it was time to take a closer look.

He clenched his teeth around the handle of his cleaver and jumped off after them, hoping to get some royal blood on his blade. He hid behind a corner, after Nightmare Moon knocked Celestia out of the sky. The third figure, which Max could now plainly see was a purple color, knelt beside the fallen Princess of the Sun. "Princess? Princess?" she kept asking. Finally, the princess rose to her feet and walked to a side of the room. She looked in Max's direction, but he couldn't tell if she could actually see him.

She positioned her gaze at a circle carved into the floor. Using her magic, she forced the circle to unhinge itself and slide out of place, and the Elements of Harmony were revealed. The purple alicorn looked on. It seemed as if the sun princess was completely oblivious to the fact that the small one was there. Celestia took the elements and flew off to face her sister. Now, Max saw his chance. He leaped after her as his revenge was coming to completion. Before she could unleash the elements on her sister, he used his legs in propulsion and launched himself upwards and sliced off one of her wings.

Celestia spiraled downward, the Elements of Harmony falling with her. This time, she hit the ground just hard enough to kill her. Max landed, his revenge carried out in full force. Nightmare Moon laughed evilly above him. He had obviously done exactly what she wanted him to do. He fired up once again, aiming his blade to drive into her heart. But he could not penetrate the shield that surrounded the dark alicorn. The cleaver was knocked out of his mouth and pulled a few teeth out with it.

Max used his leg strength to land perfectly so that he did not end up with the same fate as Celestia. His sword landed in the dirt beside him. He brushed himself off with his wings, and noticed that the purple alicorn princess was staring at him with tears in her eyes. "But… that's impossible… she can't be dead!"

"Sorry, but she can be," Max replied coldheartedly.

"No, you don't understand," she cried, "I'm from the future, and she's there; she's _there_! You have no idea what you've just done! You…" The rest of her words were pulled back by the lump in her throat. Max looked up as the dark clouds that Nightmare Moon had created became a part of the night sky, locking it into place.

"Thank you," Nightmare said gratefully to Max, "For doing my work for me. Now, Equestria must prepare for _eternal night_!" She cackled like a witch as she flew off to rule over her new domain.

"It's impossible," the purple alicorn said again, "There's no way… there's no way…"

Max's insane eyes calmed down with his own tears as he realized what he had done. Had he done it? But it was impossible. The blade. It had infected his mind, so no wonder it was called Demon Cleaver. The demons used it to "cleave off" the connection from his heart to his mind and body. His hatred was not his own, and yet it was. He had demons inside, thanks to the sword, and now look what they had done.

Look what he had done.

END of Episode 3

Notes from author (Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives):

-I know what you're thinking: "WTF CELESTIA'S DEAD NOT MY WAIFU HOW COULD YOU EFF THIS STORY" and the response I have to that is: don't worry, son. If Twilight Sparkle says it's impossible, then it is. ;) (But if she says _scientifically_ impossible then she's totally wrong.)

-Wow, I'm changing the rating to T after describing that gory stuff.

To be continued in…

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 4: The Army of the Moon


	4. Episode 4

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 4: The Army of the Moon

Written by Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives

Ext. Canterlot Castle

Time: 9:03 PM

The wind was howling as it blasted throughout Canterlot, knocking shutters closed and taking ponies off of their hooves if it hit them in the side. Max Jumper had no problem fighting against the wind, but the purple alicorn princess following him had her wings in a big tangle. "Why are you still here, princess?" Max asked, "If you are really a princess, that is."

The strong breeze threw tears out of the princess' eyes. "I… I have to stop you," she finally choked, "For the future of Equestria, I must… I… must…"

"You must what?" Max questioned, annoyed at her stuttering.

"I must… d-d-defeat you!" she finally managed.

"I think you're just trying to cover up that you were going to say something much worse. Well, with all of that stuttering, it's obvious. You were going to say 'destroy' weren't you?"

The girl with the violet mane was silent.

"I thought so," Max finished. He regretted what he had done, but the Demon Cleaver still left a bit of evil in him. It had infected him. Never would he kill when it was not a time of war if it had not taken him over. There had been a war, the Crystal Empire had lost, and then it was over. That is how war went. The cleaver had tried to convince him that the war was still going, that there still had to be bloodshed. He couldn't believe he had fallen for it. Suddenly, Max felt a warm light behind him.

"I must… destroy you!"

Max spoke the words "oh, no" as he was lifted up off his hooves high into the sky.

"Let it be known that I, Princess Twilight Sparkle," the girl spoke, producing a thin blade made of purple light, "Am the one whom is going to avenge Princess Celestia, Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria!"

"Now, now, Miss Sparkle," Max chided, trying to protect himself, "Too many of us have given into the darkness inside our hearts this day and night. Do not let it happen again." He noticed that she was dragging the Demon Cleaver along behind her. "And put away that blade."

"What," she guessed, shaking the purple streak hovering a few feet from Max's stomach, "This one?"

"No, I mean that one." He pointed to the cleaver, and when she saw it, she shrieked, dropping Max, the purple blade, and the sword that had been used to kill Celestia.

"I will never, ever touch that weapon again!" she shouted, "What it has been carried out to do is evil! EVIL!"

"Now… you see what I mean?" Max asked as he struggled to remove the purple streak that he had fallen on from his chest.

"But you," she said, "You are evil, too, and what you've done is inexcusable."

"Please, take this out," he squirmed.

"Alright, I will." She shoved it so deep inside of him that it came out the other side and detached from him. His eyes went blank, and then closed, and he stopped breathing. His head rested on the ground, his mouth open and drooling blood, much like the crimson that was already leaking from his chest. "I'm so, so sorry," Twilight apologized, "But I must do what I am meant to do." She went off to face Nightmare Moon alone, without the help of her friends or fellow princesses, and prepared for the worst.

Time: 12:00 AM

As the portal opened, the black and red demon alicorn stepped out, hoping to retrieve the weapon that was not meant to be in this timeline. He noticed that he was a little late, what with Princess Twilight Sparkle hanging by the neck from a rope, the Army of the Moon descending upon the land, and the red, dead pegasus at his hooves. "Boy, is this a mess," he coughed, smelling the stench of death all around him. The eternal night had come, and he had been too late to prevent it. Now he would have to live with it, at least for a while.

He looked up and headed for the throne room to face Nightmare Moon, who had been the source of all this destruction. As he was moving quickly, he noticed the Demon Cleaver he'd been looking for. He stopped for it, picked it up with his magic, and threw it back into the portal. The portal closed as the weapon fell into it, and the alicorn prince continued on his path. The red pegasus stirred behind him as he walked, but he paid no attention to it. He was on a mission, and if it was the destiny of a soul to live, then they would live on their own. He had no idea that he had met the pegasus before, much farther forward into the future.

As Max got up, he felt the blood on his chest sucking back into his heart. "But that's impossible," he wheezed, "How am I still alive?" He slowly got up, feeling the blood rush to his head with an incredible aching. Max looked over at the alicorn that was entering the castle. "Oh," he said warily, "Not another one…"

Int. Canterlot Castle, Throne Room

Time: 12:08 AM

Max snuck in to the throne room after the black alicorn prince. He hid behind a wall, beginning to eavesdrop. "I'm sorry, my dear," the alicorn spoke, "But I'm afraid your army must fall before it rises."

"Who are you, fool?" Nightmare asked the demon prince.

"You do not know me, but I know you, Princess Luna."

"I am _not_ Luna! I am Nightmare Moon, Queen of the Eternal Night!"

"Oh, but you've just taken her body to manipulate for your own," the alicorn said, brushing himself off to look important. "It's really disgusting."

"Quiet, you foal! I didn't let you in, who let you in?"

"I guess," he replied, pointing at the Moon Guard corpses resting in the corner, "They did."

"Well, since you have so rudely barged in and threatened my rule," she said, "I'm going to have to dispose of you before you ruin something."

"Ruin something? Oh, no, no, no, your highness, I'd use a few words like… completely decimate."

"Then it's settled," she decided, standing straight up, "You will have to die." She unleashed a barrage of her dark powers on the alicorn, and he retaliated with his own. But it couldn't be. The magic that the alicorn was using looked identical to that of King Sombra's. Could this be Sombra reincarnate? But no, it couldn't. Max knew that King Sombra hated alicorns, and would never become one. If he ever found out that he had, he would kill himself instantly. This was not King Sombra, but it was his magic. His stolen magic.

Max stepped out from the shadows and charged at the alicorn, but halfway into his sprint, he stopped. He couldn't decide if his target was Nightmare Moon or the black demon. Both were more powerful than he, and the only reason he had been able to kill Celestia was the fact that she had not been expecting it. Now, Nightmare Moon could see him, and the other alicorn now knew that he was alive. "Maybe I should've cared when your hoof started moving," the bat-winged alicorn said, as if he could read Max's thoughts. "Maybe I should've killed you."

"And maybe," Max retorted, "You need me." Nightmare Moon applied more power into her blast. With the Eternal Night now set in place, her dark magic energy was at maximum power, and even going beyond. Shadows filled the night, and where there were shadows, there was dark matter, and those who dwell in the darkness can turn that matter into magic. King Sombra had explained this to him long ago, the powers of evil.

_No, not evil! Not evil! Not evil! The king is not evil!_

King Sombra had explained this to him long ago, the powers of the dark. Max tilted his head as he realized that something was messing around with his thoughts. Back in the Crystal Empire, it had been happening more and more, and now, it was a hazy but loud shouting in his head, trying to make him say the right thing whenever he said the wrong thing. It seemed as if the voice in his head was trying to thin the line between good and evil.

_Not evil! Not evil!_

It seemed as if the voice in his head was trying to thing the line between light and darkness. There it was again. Oh, well. Now was not the time to dwell, now was the time to fight to survive. The black alicorn finally began gaining the upper hand, and Nightmare Moon was thrown to the back of the room. Max made his move. He decided to aid the male alicorn and attack Nightmare Moon. When he was only a few yards away from her, the very one he was trying to help pulled him back. "Hey, what gives?" Max asked.

"I don't want her dead," the alicorn explained.

"Neither do I."

"Then I guess I can let you help me, sure. What's your big plan?"

"Well, my plan is to jump on her."

"What?"

Max used his signature jumping move to land a hit on Nightmare Moon that knocked her out. "I said my plan was to jump on her, so I jumped on her."

"I think I heard a _crack_."

"Might've been the rib cage breaking, but that'll heal. She's still breathing, if that's any consolation."

"I don't need consolation, nothing sad has happened to me. You, however, look like you've been to Hell and back."

"Maybe I have," Max sniffed.

"What's your name?" the alicorn asked.

"Max Jumper's the name, and thus I jump. What's yours?"

The alicorn was surprised. It couldn't be Max, not the Max that was in his army of the future. Oh, but it was. The exact same Max Jumper, who had no idea what was ahead of him. "I can't tell you my name," the alicorn chose to say, "But I know how we can fix the deaths that have been wrought." He was trying really hard to sound more royal than normal. Where he came from, there was really no need for such technicalities.

"Wait, so I can undo the destruction of the Crystal Empire?" Max asked enthusiastically.

"No, but it is not destroyed, it has only disappeared for a thousand years. However, when the empire returns, it will seem to them like not a second has passed, and yet they will not remember anything."

"King Sombra… will return?"

The alicorn was silent before replying "Yes."

"This is splendid news, in fact it's the best news I've heard in a very long time. So now, I'm guessing we're just repairing what _I've_ done then?"

"Of course. Right this way, if you please," the alicorn said, pointing to a portal that he had just created with his magic.

"What happens when I go through there?" Max inquired.

"It's hard to explain. It's better if you just go through it."

"I have nothing better to do, I guess. Well," Max finished, looking straight at the portal, "Here goes nothing." He began to run towards it, but as he tried, a pillar of darkness swept over it. The two turned their attention back to Nightmare Moon, who was now holding her right rib cage in place with her wing. "You're not going anywhere, I'm afraid."

The mare cackled as the walls of the throne room came crumbling down, and the Army of the Moon stood outside, waiting for the two stallions to come out of the fallen rubble. The portal was pushed away from the ruins that Nightmare had created, and Max and the alicorn emerged from the rocks. "Eh, it's not so bad," the alicorn said.

"What does that mean?" Max asked.

"It means they'll be really easy to kill, now come on and show me what you got."

"I've got a couple pocket knives, and the cleaver I bought earlier ended up being possessed, so I left it."

"Right, it's the whole reason there's a mess out here. Anyway, you use your pocket knives and your awesome jump skills and kick their flanks."

"Whoa, wait, what?"

"Good luck, buddy." The alicorn flew up and out of sight.

"You've got to be joking."

The Army of the Moon advanced upon him.

END of Episode 4

Notes from the author (Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives)

-I know what you're thinking this time, now: OMG WTF FIRST CELESTIA BUT NOW TWILIGHT SERIOUSLY IS YOUR WHOLE GOAL TO KILL EVERYONE YOU SUCK EFF YOU. Excuse moi, but did you not here the part where the alicorn dude said the whole "fix the death" thing? Do you really think I'd leave Princess Twilight Sparkle, my fav pony to die? No. No I would not. You just wait for episode 5 now, boys and girls.

-WOW I WONDER WHO THE BLACK ALICORN IS HMMMMMM IT'S SUCH A MYSTERY I WONDER IF DONNY KNOWS WHO IT IS HMMMMMMMMMMM

To be continued in…

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 5: The Strands of Existence


	5. Episode 5

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 5: The Strands of Existence

Written by Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives

Ext. Canterlot Gardens

Time: 1:22 AM

Max Jumper had been fighting Nightmare Moon's army for Celestia knows how long. Actually, he estimated that it had only been a little over an hour. He had been a renowned for his fighting endurance in elongated battles, but good golly, this was ridiculous. The army seemed infinite, and it kept coming at him. He didn't know how many he had already killed. They kept attacking, and he had barely escaped every time they had swarmed him because of his ability to jump high out and away of their traps.

Max slammed as many soldiers as he could into the ground before he began to tire out. The fight was taking its toll on his equestrian body. The only way he was going to get out alive was to run, and he barely even had energy left for that. So he would have to keep fighting and hope for a miracle, or perhaps, he would just have to give in to his death. He threw his two pocketknives like boomerangs and was able to kill nine moon soldiers with that single throw. Then he noticed something. Every time he downed one stallion of the Army of the Moon, Nightmare would always resurrect him.

"You gonna… cut me some slack?" Max breathed out heavily.

"And why in Equestria's name would I do that?" the Mare in the Moon laughed, "You aren't giving me any. I have to use a lot of magic to bring my brave soldiers back into physical life."

"Well of course, but you're not trying to save yourself and the rest of Equestria from somepony's diabolical and evil rule."

"Me? Diabolical? Ha," she laughed, "I think you're fighting for the wrong side, Max Jumper."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Join me, great soldier, and together we will conquer the lands of Equestria and beyond!"

"I would rather die," Max protested.

"Then," Nightmare Moon sighed, "You shall." The Army of the Moon came quickly towards the tired pegasus, and he jumped as high as he could. But one of the unicorn soldiers shot him out of the sky, grounding him for good. He rolled over onto his back, groaning. The black-armored unicorn general that had shot him down raised his spear into the air, preparing to strike. Suddenly and out of nowhere, a light was seen. It blasted all the soldiers away from Max Jumper, who promptly rolled over to see who had just saved his life.

It was the black alicorn, eyes glowing a fiery white. The light emanating from his horn shone brighter than the sun, and his cutie mark was rapidly switching among multiple images. "Whoa," Max said, wide-eyed.

"If you want to avoid a gruesome, unnecessary death," the alicorn recommended, "Then come with me."

"Done," Max Jumper agreed, "Where are we going?"

The black alicorn created a shimmering portal from his magic. "In there," he answered. Max nodded his head, jumping in after the alicorn as the Army of the Moon charged for him. They failed to catch him, however, as the portal closed, saving the two stallions who were not willing to let Nightmare rule over the world.

"Find them," Nightmare Moon shouted, "Find them and kill them!"

Unluckily for her, the words were lost to the wind as the strands of existence fell apart, breaking the time spell that her future self had created. Now, all that was left to do was to mend those strands back together into the way they were meant to be. The existence of Nightmare Moon's rule of the Eternal Night split into nothingness and died away…

Ext/Int. The Edge

Time: All of Time

Max Jumper found himself staring into a blank, white limbo. He was not in a place he had seen before nor had he heard mention of. He looked at his hooves to make sure he wasn't going blind. No, they still had color, his eyes were fine. He looked over at the black demon alicorn, who had now shrunk down to a more normal size. In fact, he became a couple inches smaller than Max himself was. "Hey," Max asked, "Did you just… shrink?"

"Maybe," the alicorn coughed, "It's very possible actually. I - *cough* - used a lot of energy in order to create that portal. I was hoping that I could search for a magic source in order to make it, but after an hour of blasting through soldiers to find one, I decided to use my own."

"So now," Max figured out, "You can't turn into that demon, at least for a while, I'm assuming?"

"True, true." The black alicorn rubbed sweat off his face with his hoof. "Boy, that was some strenuous work. Glad this'll all be over soon."

"So what is this place?" Max questioned, looking around, "I've never seen the likes of it in my entire life."

"This? Oh, this place is known solely as the Edge. This is where all time travelers go through when they use light magic to move throughout time and space."

"Where do they go when they use dark magic?"

"Dear me, why would you ask such a stupidly limited question?"

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Foal, there are more than two ways to travel through time. One stallion known as Doctor Whooves even uses a stinking blue box to endeavor into the blue and red mists of the space-time continuum, and in my book, that's the most outrageous way to travel ever. I don't even know how he fits his fat flank in that thing…"

"Alright, I don't need you fuming off on me with stupid specifics," Max retorted, "Just answer my question."

The black alicorn sighed. "Fine. If you use dark magic to travel through time, you find yourself in the Red Zone. It's a pretty easy way to go, but the thing is, it can drive even the sanest of people mad."

"And why is that?"

"My goodness, all these multitudes of horrendous questions, and you haven't even asked my flipping name." He produced a Pega-Cola from out of nowhere and began drinking it. "So, ask it now."

"What is that thi..?"

"Oh my Celestia," the alicorn spat, "Just freaking ask my name already!"

"What's your name?" Max asked quickly.

"Ah, now there's a question I can answer," the alicorn said happily, jumping in front of Max. "My name," he answered, "Is BlazingWing, ruler of the Dark…"

"I only asked your name," Max interrupted, "Not your status."

"Ah, yes," BlazingWing smiled, scratching the back of his mane, "That is very true." They smirked at each other for a few seconds, before a new portal opened up. "There we go," BlazingWing said, gently tapping one hoof on the other, "Go through and kill yourself."

"Wait," Max stopped in his tracks, confused. "What did you say?"

"Oh, did I not already tell you what you were supposed to be doing? My, my, aren't I to be very ashamed. OK, well, to be specific, this portal leads to the moments just before you killed Celestia. Once you're through the portal, you'll end up knocking your past self out of the way. After that, you need to kill yourself in order to ensure that Celestia does not die and Nightmare Moon's rule never, ever comes to pass."

"But... won't I die as well? I mean, I'm killing my past self and all, but will that kill my present self as well?"

"There is no 'present' you."

"Excuse me?"

"You no longer belong to time, so there is no 'present' you. Time belongs to you now, since you have traveled through it and avoided death by using it."

"That's truly some deep thinking right there."

"Oh yeah," BlazingWing smiled, "So deep."

"Anyway," Max said, turning towards the portal and coming close to stepping through it, "I'm just going in there and killing me in the past. Is that correct?"

"Doesn't get any simpler," BlazingWing replied, taking a last gulp of Pega-Cola and throwing the container into a garbage can. Then, he incinerated the can and all of its contents.

"I swear you are crazy," Max stated as he shook his head.

"I am, aren't I?" BlazingWing laughed.

Max looked away from the seemingly insane alicorn, and then jumped straight into the portal leading into his past.

Ext. Canterlot Gardens

Time: 8:15 AM

Max Jumper didn't know what had hit him. One second he had been leaping at the Princess of the Sun, and the next he'd been taken down by an incredibly strong pegasus that had come from out of nowhere. The Demon Cleaver was knocked out of his mouth as he fell to the ground, knocking all of the wind out of him. "What the..?"

"I'm so sorry, Max."

"Who's that? Who's there?" Max stood up as fast as he could, dizzy from the lack of air.

"It's you."

"What?" Max looked around, eyes locking on a very familiar figure. It was something that he had seen before, several times, whenever he looked into a mirror…

"It's you."

"No," Max said, frightened, "It can't be! But that's impossible!"

"I am you, and you are me. Today, we both must die."

"Why, why would you commit such suicide?"

"Most likely for a similar reason with which you were going to kill Celestia."

"I… I was… going to… to kill her?" Max staggered back. That was not how he took revenge. Perhaps it was how King Sombra did, but not him. Not Max Jumper. "Did _you _kill her?"

"Excuse me?" the time-traveling Max asked.

"I said: did you kill her? Did you… did we kill Celestia?"

Time-traveling Max looked down at his front hooves. "Yes. We did."

"Then," past Max said, "We do have to die… for what we've done."

"Indeed." The time-traveling Max pulled out a pocketknife, and thrust it forward.

Ext/Int. The Edge

Time: All of Time

"Is it done?" BlazingWing asked.

"Yes," Max said, wiping the blood off of his face, "Now, never make me kill anyone again. I will only fight and kill when it is a time of war. That is how I was raised, and that is what I'll believe in."

"Wow," BlazingWing said, "You must have a good dad."

"Actually," Max explained, "I don't remember my father. King Sombra took me in and trained me in the art of war, and thusly, war is the only thing I know of. Peace is not something that I am accustomed to."

"Wait, you were brought up by King Sombra? Why didn't you tell me this before? After all our years of working together…"

"We've only been with each other for less than an hour."

"Right," BlazingWing remembered, "Right. You have quite an adventure ahead of you, but you don't know it yet."

"Now I do."

"I should really shut up about the future."

"Yeah, you should. I don't want everything about my life spoiled by your words, now do I?"

BlazingWing laughed. "You have a point there." The two looked on into the white abyss that seemed to never end. It was incredibly tranquil, and the only sound that could be heard was the heavy, sharp breaths of Max Jumper, the last remaining stallion of the Crystal Empire.

"I have to go," Max abruptly decided.

"But of course you do," BlazingWing realized, "You have to go back to your own time, and discover the truth on your own. I will return you to the Equestria you lived in, in exactly the same place where I picked you up. Except now, Nightmare Moon will be gone, and Celestia shall be very much alive."

"I guess," Max sighed, "That's good to know." A new portal opened in front of Max. "See you soon?" he asked.

"No," BlazingWing replied, "Not soon, but eventually."

"Right. Well, it was nice meeting you, and I look forward with enthusiasm to our next meeting, BlazingWing, ruler of the Dark something."

The black alicorn cracked up laughing. "It was nice meeting you too, old friend," he said joyfully. Max smiled, then stepped through the portal into a world that, minutes earlier, had not existed. BlazingWing slowly began to frown, looking down at his hooves. "He's got a very long way to go…" He walked sluggishly over to another portal that had just opened, removing him from the Edge and plunging him back into his own world, where he would face the culprit behind this time Paradox.

END of Episode 5

Notes from the author (Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives)

-Yes, Twilight and Celestia have come back to life. Your welcome, America. And the rest of the world. Especially South Africa.

-Now you see why I wanted you to read my friend's story, "BlazingWing's Adventure," don't you? ;)

To be continued in…

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 6: Kingdom of the Light Magics


	6. Episode 6

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 6: Kingdom of the Light Magics

Written by Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives

Ext. Deep inside the Everfree Forest

Time: 4:52 AM

Max had been hiking for hours through the Everfree Forest, not knowing exactly where he was going. He was wandering, still trying to understand what had just happened to him. After he had stepped through the portal, he had seen Celestia blast Nightmare Moon straight to the moon. He'd stayed hidden from Twilight. He didn't want her to remember him, although he highly doubted she would, but also, he didn't want to remember her. She was obviously another time traveler just like BlazingWing, and the chances of him meeting her again were one in a trillion.

He ducked under a large branch that was in his way and stepped on a few spiky twigs that dug deeply into his hoof. It didn't feel painful, it just felt weird. He pulled them out without wincing in the slightest. His body had gotten so used to pain that he barely even felt it anymore. Nonetheless, he needed to seal up the wounds. He could possibly get an infection, and if there was anything that he wasn't invulnerable to, it was illness. He grabbed a large, leafy vine that he knew was fairly clean, pulling it out of the ground and wrapping it around his hooves to stop the bleeding.

Continuing through the forest, Max kept in a fully straight line. While he didn't know exactly where he was going, he knew how to keep himself going in one direction. His internal compass was very accurate. He came to a section of the forest that opened up, revealing a wooden bridge leading to the Castle of the Two Sisters. He guessed that this is where Celestia's battle with Nightmare Moon had started and then stretched towards and through Canterlot. Many royal soldiers still guarded the gates, even though many of those most loyal to Luna had followed her to do her bidding.

Max Jumper crossed the bridge, spreading his wings to slightly lift him up and silence his hoof steps. Once he reached the other side, he hid behind a tree, biding his time. He closed his eyes for a second before lunging into a bush to hide himself again. He popped his head out, looking around, until his gaze rested upon a certain oak tree. There was a pony standing on two hind hooves right in front of it. Max quickly ducked back down, hoping that he hadn't been seen. Suddenly, he remembered that guards don't wear large brown hoods.

He stuck his head back up to get a better view at his fellow stalker, only to find his head bumping into the lower jaw of the thing. "Ouch!" it whispered as quietly as possible, "Watch it!"

"Hey," Max hissed back, "I was here first."

"That's not true," the hooded pony replied, "And you know it."

"We'll see about that," Max said, pulling the pony behind the bush with him as a guard passed by to see what was going on.

"What is it?" a faraway voice asked.

"Nothing," the guard answered, "Just some wind rustling in the bushes." He walked away, and he was stupidly but surely certain that there was nopony else there at all.

"You're lucky that guy was an idiot," said the hooded pony as the white armor-clad stallion walked away.

"I was just about to tell you that," Max retorted. He propped his head on a strong section of branch that stuck out from the bush, eyeing the rest of the guards. With their forces cut in half, they were spread thing throughout the area. "Who are you?" he asked the pony. When the hood was pulled back, Max realized that he had seen this one before; it was one of the ponies from the bar. It was the red unicorn, and as Max recalled, his name was… "Benjamin?"

"Hey," Ben said, "I remember you. You're that foal who tried to kill me the other day. Fancy that, me running into a flank like you twice. One might even say it's destiny."

"The Demon Cleaver possessed me," he explained quickly, "And what is this 'destiny' you speak of?"

"Haven't you heard of it?"

"No," Max answered flatly.

"Oh. Well, to put it simply, destiny is your major goal in life. However, it is not exactly a goal that you set for yourself, but it's more like a goal that fate sets for you. Basically, you can't escape it."

"What is fate?"

"You've got to be joking."

"No."

"Fate is destiny, destiny is fate. Look, it's just what you're eventually going to accomplish in life, whether you like it or not. For example, it is my destiny to be king of the Kingdom of the Light Magics…"

"Kingdom of the Light Magics, eh? Describe this place to me."

"Ok," Benjamin said abruptly, "Forget asking me questions right now; we can talk later. Right now I need to go and find a person who is living deep below that castle right there."

"Who might this person be?" Max inquired, perking an ear up.

"What did I just say?" Benjamin shouted, very annoyed and no longer caring to keep himself hidden as he stood all the way up.

"Hey, ssssh!"

"No, what did I just say? About the questions? Do you never stop asking questions?! Sweet Celestia…" He stopped talking as a poison knockout dart flew into his neck. Max ducked to dodge another one that barely skimmed his mane. He sailed into the air, avoiding more darts as he landed in between the two guards that were blowing them through their weaponized wooden straws. He hit both of them roughly over the head, causing them to faint. He looked over at the unconscious Benjamin.

"You idiot," Max said, contemplating on whether or not he should help the fool. It would be no problem for his muscles, of course, but he'd already carried someone on his back the day before. He didn't want to be known as a living carriage. But, his good side got the better of him. He propped Benjamin up onto his back and ran inside the Castle of the Two Sisters. Many ponies attempted to stop him, but he leaped over them with ease. He would knock them out, but that would be a bit difficult and awkward with Ben on him. He ran into an empty room, closing the door behind him and barring it.

As the guards banged heavily on the wood, Max set Ben down and slapped him multiple times in the face. After a few seconds, the unicorn came to, thrusting his head up into the air, eyes wide. "Whoa! What happened? Where am I?" he said with no breaths in between words.

"Calm down, future King Benjamin," Max chided, recalling the dialogue in the skirmish at the bar.

"Answer me!"

"Alright, alright," Max said, trying to shut Ben up, "You're in the Castle of the Two Sisters. I thought I'd carry you in since you seemed to need to get in here, but you were knocked out."

"Oh," Benjamin said, rubbing his on-end mane back, "That was easy then. Let's see, now, what was step two again?"

"Wait, you planned this all out?"

"Of course I did! It is imperative that a king knows how to run into a battle with a stratagem. Otherwise, it is mutually assured that he will die."

"That's pretty black-and-white. I never really plan anything out unless it is completely necessary. Most of the time, I just charge in and kill ponies during war times without giving it much thought. I guess you might call it a fault, since…"

"Oh, boy," interrupted Ben.

"What?"

"You said 'since.' That means you're about to go straight into this long story that describes your life in vivid detail. Ugh, how I would hate for that to happen. Just shut up and move out of the way, soldier."

"Excuse moi?" Max Jumper exclaimed in disgust, "You might be the king of some random kingdom out there, but you're not the king of me."

"Are you joking? Ha! With the downfall of Princesses Luna and Celestia, the Kingdom of the Light Magics will now have control over all of Equestria!"

"Princess Celestia has not fallen. She is merely mourning."

"Yeah and… wait, she's… she's alive?"

"Of course she is, you insolent buffoon," Max replied, smacking Benjamin over the head, "She's the damned Princess of the Sun. And, I may have also saved her in a way."

"Ok, whatever," Ben coughed, only slightly saddened at the fact he would not have control of a few key places in the land of Equestria, "But we still will now have control over the area where the Crystal Empire resided."

"In your dreams," Max scoffed angrily.

"We'll see," Benjamin, the future unicorn king of the Kingdom of the Light Magics, retorted. He pointed with his right fore hoof at the door that was beginning to break down. "Watch how I handle these suckers," he cackled.

"Oh, yes," Mr. Jumper said, rolling his eyes, "Because you really taught them a lesson before. I'd love to see you do it again."

"Quiet, foal!" Ben aimed his horn straight at the wooden door and released a large ball of red light. The wood splintered apart, knocking out a few guards in the process. Some of the more heavily armored stallions pulled out their lances and scraped their hooves on the ground as they snorted, preparing to attack. The red unicorn unsheathed his own sword, pointing the tip at his opponents. Alas, before he could make his next glorious move, Max Jumper had blacked the guards out. "Aw, come on," Ben said, dropping his blade, "I was gonna do that!"

"No, you were going to kill them," Max said back, "Just get what you need and then we'll leave."

"Alright then," Ben grinned slyly, "Follow me." The two made their way down a grand hall, until they came to the throne room. There had obviously been a major battle in this room, as there was a hole in the ceiling and a pedestal that had stood between the two thrones of Luna and Celestia had crumbled to pieces. Ben rushed to the spot. "It should be here somewhere," he thought out loud, "Right about… ah! Here it is." He pressed a button hidden behind a piece of tapestry cloth, and a tiny stone door opened up, revealing a small treasure chest. The unicorn reached inside the chest and produced a piece of paper from it.

"What is that?" Max inquired.

"A map," Ben answered joyfully, "A map that will change everything. Thank you so much for escorting me here. I guess I really couldn't have done it without you. Well, maybe that's true, and maybe it isn't, but all the same, thanks anyways."

"Uh, you're most welcome, I guess." The two made their way out of the castle with no extra escapades, save having to beat down a few recovering guards. Once they were finally outside again, Ben made an offer.

"Dax Thumper…" he began.

"You mean, 'Max Jumper,'" the dark-haired pegasus replied.

"Whatever. Max Jumper, I would like to make you a deal. Would you agree to be my protector on my adventures as a future king? If so, I will…"

"Yes."

"But I didn't say what the reward was for…"

"Being part of a society again will be all the reward I need," Max said, bowing, "Thank you, Benjamin, great prince of the Kingdom of the Light Magics."

"Oh, well then, you're welcome."

Max looked up to see the unicorn trotting off.

"Well," Ben said, "You coming?"

Max smiled and followed after him.

INT. Throne Room, Canterlot Castle

Time: 6:40 AM

"Shall we release Starswirl the Bearded?" a Canterlot soldier asked, knees shaking at the thought of what Princess Celestia might do to him for having asked such a question as this.

"No," the princess said plainly, depression in her voice.

The guard sighed in relief, and then persisted, "Then what shall we do with him, my liege?"

"Keep him locked up," she said, "And make him find a spell to change my sister back to normal. Use any measures you have to to make it so."

"Any measures, including…"

"Yes."

"It will be done, milady," the stallion proclaimed hesitantly. He turned away and headed for the door, head downcast. He didn't like what he was about to do.

INT. Dungeons, Canterlot Castle

Time: 6:54 AM

The brown stallion walked slowly and warily down the hallway. He wasn't very anxious to get to his destination in a hurry. He sluggishly made his way to the cell of the amazing and powerful unicorn wizard, Starswirl. When he looked in, what he saw – or more, what he didn't see – shocked him. He was partially relieved and partially extremely worried about how Celestia would take this. He galloped heavily down the hallway, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Starswirl is gone! _Starswirl the Bearded has escaped_!"

EXT. Western Edge of the Everfree Forest

Time: 10:42 AM

It had taken almost four hours, but they had finally made it. The red pegasus with the black hair containing a gold streak, Max Jumper, and the crimson unicorn with the brown mane and cloak, Benjamin Tethers, had arrived at their destination: the Kingdom of the Light Magics. While the place was only made of average cobblestone, the way that the light shined on it made it look like the walls defending the kingdom and the buildings inside look like they were made of gold and white marble. Magic surely thrived in this place; Max could even feel it running through him now.

"Like my city?" Ben smiled proudly.

"Oh, yes, my friend," the pony from the Crystal Empire replied, "It is very pleasing to the eye and the mind."

"Just make yourself comfortable somewhere," Ben said, "In any house you want."

"I don't know who lives in these houses, though," Mr. Jumper remarked.

"It doesn't matter. You're my companion now; you need no permission to break into someone's house and claim it as your own."

"That's a bit messed up, don't you think?"

"Not really."

"Okay, well then," Max resolved, "What if I broke into the castle and claimed it as my own? Would that count?"

"Ah, er," Ben fumbled, "Not really."

"But I am to stay as close to you as possible if I am your bodyguard, no?"

"Well, yes, but… Oh, alright. I'll convince my father to let you stay. At least that's one of the things I'll be able to do."

"Sounds good enough to me," Max laughed.

"Just shut up," Ben said. The two walked towards the center of the city, making their little ways to the castle of the Kingdom of the Light Magics.

END of Episode 6

Notes from the author (Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives):

I and my pal, BlazingWing (Donny) have decided to make this story into seasons. There will be 26 episodes in this season, just like the actual show of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. But don't worry, I won't pull any stupid season 3 trick and make it only 13 episodes. Well, actually, I might. I dunno. You shouldn't care. I'll still going to write a bunch of story anyway.

Donny, before you think you're off the hook, just remember: #HayBrowns

To be continued in…

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 7: False Kings, True Princes


	7. Episode 7

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 7: False Kings, True Princes

Written by Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives

INT. Throne Room, Castle of Light

Time: 11:01 AM

Benjamin kneeled low to the ground before his stern father, the Great and Powerful King of the Kingdom of the Light Magics. "Forgive me, Father," he apologized, "But we have a vis… a guest."

The golden-brown King Diamond Everbold of the Light Magics readjusted himself in his chair, positioning his thick cape so that it made him look bigger and tougher, as well as to hide that he was dying. "Benjamin, my son," he said frailly but heartily, "Whom may I have the great pleasure of greeting?"

Ben smiled. "My father and my king," he exclaimed as royally as possible, "I present to you, Maximillian Jumper, the strong-legged pegasus of Canterlot!"

Max stepped forward, and immediately proceeded to bow. "It is an honor to meet you, great King of the Kingdom of the Light Magics," he said regally, knowing to always be humble in front of royalty. "However, I must admit, my full name is not Maximillian, it is just Max. And I am not exactly from…"

"Oh, just forget the formalities, boy!" the king laughed, "You are welcome no matter where you are from. I was going to just call you Max anyway." He chuckled. "You seem to have already met my son, Prince Benjamin. Allow me to also introduce my other son," he explained as another pony stepped out; it was a grey unicorn with blue eyes and short, brown hair. "This is my good boy Prince Arnold Everbold, my successor as next in line to the throne."

The unicorn and the pegasus shook hooves. "It is nice to meet you," Prince Arnold said in a friendly manner.

"Likewise," replied Max. A confused look formed on his face. "Wait," he halted, "You're the one who's next in line for the throne?"

"Yes," answered Arnold, wondering why Max had such a fumbled look.

"Why did you tell me that you were next in line for the throne?" Max asked Ben.

"Oh, because, er," the red unicorn fumbled for an excuse, "I was just having a joke." He began to laugh in a way that made it hard to tell if he was faking or not.

Max noticed frown lines on King Diamond's face. "Why do you end up telling _everyone_ you meet that joke, my son?" the king inquired.

"I can't resist, it never gets old!" He plastered a joyful smile on his face, hoping that his father would accept his dumb excuse that he'd made on the spot.

"Well, alright," Diamond accepted, "Arnold, give our guest a tour of the castle. Benjamin, my son, make sure that the servants to a good job of preparing his room."

"Yes father," the two princes replied in unison. Ben went off to command his servants in a hooves-on-hips, demanding way, while Arnold led Max to a hallway to the left of the throne room. "This is the art hall, where many artists throughout the town place their work every Hearth's Warming Eve as a gift to my father," he explained, gesturing towards the plethora paintings and ornaments hanging on the wall.

"I see," Max said in awe, "Very good craftsmanship on the busts, too. But, there is no way that these are _all_ of the paintings. Aren't they around somewhere?"

"Yes, we place older paintings in other parts of the castle, but this is where we put as many of the new ones as possible. This is where the walls and ceiling are filled with nothing but art."

"Extraordinary," Max complimented. They went through a door on the right near the end of the hall, leading into what was obviously a kitchen. Many earth ponies were hard at work in there, along with a few zebras. Max Jumper, having been a soldier in the Crystal Empire, had never exposed himself to a zebra before. He'd heard about them, but looking at one seemed almost unreal. It was funny, really. After all this time and all he'd been through, the craziest things he'd seen in his life were now these white-striped tall ponies.

Arnold led his guest to another room; it was a massive dining room, with a ceiling that seemed to stretch higher than any ceiling Max had seen in the Crystal Castle. "And this is where we eat," the prince snickered. The tour continued upstairs after a while, and Arnold showed Max the sleeping chambers and the servants' quarters. As they were walking, about to be finished, Ben jumped out from a room, surprising them. "Welcome to your sleeping room," he said, bowing and pointing his hoof towards a magnificent bed with a silk canopy and velvet sheets.

"You're too kind," Max laughed.

"Oh, don't mention it," Ben coughed.

"We'll leave you," Arnold spoke calmly, "To whatever it is you do in your down time. I don't know what you've been doing recently, but I think it's safe to say you've earned it."

"Yes," Max agreed, "I think it is very safe to say that." They left him to his large room to think and ponder about the past few days. Finally, after everything wasn't going hectic, he was able to say, "What the hay just happened?" He paced back and forth, contemplating how his very recent and abrupt change in his past would affect his ultimate future. The Crystal Empire was _gone!_ His destiny was forever altered, even more so than he could ever know. But now the problem was figuring out what to do.

Max Jumper continued to pace. He knew nothing about anything but being a soldier during war times, and protecting an empire when it was not in a warring state. That was it. He could protect this kingdom, this "empire," the Kingdom of the Light Magics. Not only that, but now that he recalled it, Prince Ben had mentioned that Max could help him on his future adventures. Max had no idea what those adventures could be, but he was sure it would involve action, and the prince would most definitely need to be protected.

So then, it was settled. Max Jumper would protect the Kingdom of the Light Magics and its inhabitants to his very last breath, until another greater opportunity open up for him. In the long run, he'd also help out Prince Benjamin on his stupid quests as well, wherever they may lead. He'd no doubt Ben would need to be held back from killing people who didn't need to be killed and were completely innocent of any crimes.

Max walked up to his all new bed and hopped in. Oh, how good it felt! The feather-filled pillows were nice and plush, and the covers were ever so warm. He found it easy to drift off into a deep, much needed sleep under the shade of his canopy that blocked out most of the sun's rays.

EXT. Somewhere in the Everfree Forest

Time: 12:23 PM

A turquoise flash in the clouds. An explosion of many colors, shooting out in all directions. A sky covered in a rainbow. What pony in all of Equestria could have such power and skills? Why, none other than the incredible mare of unmatched speed: Rainbow Dash.

_Wait a second! This is like, 1,000 years before Dash is ever born! What do you think you're doing?_

Hold on, if you'd just let these things play out…

_How on earth could it ever play out to explain anything?_

Time travel.

_Oh. Carry on._

Thank you. Anyway, as you obviously have guessed, Rainbow Dash had travelled back in time to do a few sonic rainbooms in a gray clouded sky. She was trying to achieve the biggest rainboom she'd ever accomplished, and she thought that doing it in the most remote part of Equestria during the most remote time in the past was the perfect idea. BlazingWing the demon alicorn just looked on at her, rolling his eyes and smiling. He'd been the one who'd teleported her to this day and age in the first place.

The constant noise made by Rainbow's flying did, however, upset a few of those who were residing in Everfree. A bear began to roar loudly in the distance, and a few of the same species did the same, the sound getting closer and closer every moment. "I guess I'd better take off," BlazingWing said to himself. Spreading his wings wide, he soared up into the sky. As he did, Rainbow Dash performed another rainboom. The timing could not have been worse.

The rainbow ray that Dash had created slammed into BlazingWing, swarming him with powerful magic. All the edges warped towards him and wrapped around his body, engulfing him. Rainbow Dash gasped, and immediately tried to fly to his rescue. However, she was not prepared for what was to happen next. The multicolored cocoon around BlazingWing exploded, forcing Rainbow down into the ground and breaking her wings. To make matters worse, massive grizzly bears were surrounding her now; very hungry grizzly bears.

"Help!" she shouted in pain and urgency. BlazingWing touched down with incredible force, coming to the rescue… of no one. He hit his head so hard he got knocked out. Rainbow Dash whimpered, knowing that no one else would be able to hear her cries no matter how loud she shouted. There was nopony who could help them now. She got up on her hooves and bucked at a few of the oncoming bears. She wouldn't be able to hold out for long…

A swift figure dashed through the trees, waving fire to light up the darkness cast by the shadows of the trees blocking out the sun. The bears staggered back, unaccustomed to this form of light that was hypnotizing them into submission. They finally ran off into the woods, leaving what would have been their lunch snack behind. The figure that had saved BlazingWing and Rainbow Dash vanished into the bushes.

"Hey, wait!" Rainbow shouted. She darted after the figure, only able to still see him because of the torch he held in one of his hooves. She was catching up to him now; thankfully, he was only running on three hooves. Once she'd made it up close enough, she tackled him. Dash kicked around as the figure struggled against her.

"Get off of me!" said a teenaged colt's voice. "I just saved your flank!"

"Who are you?" she interrogated with an eye raised as she pinned him down.

"My name is Benjamin," spat the figure, "Prince Benjamin Everbold of the Kingdom of the Light Magics, and I'd be ever so pleased if you got your hooves off of my aching shoulders."

"Fine," she said, releasing Benjamin, "But what are you doing here? There isn't supposed to be anyone around the Everfree Forest!"

"Apparently, you've never heard of the Kingdom of the Light Magics," he replied regally. "In my kingdom, we roam the Everfree Forest freely, helping animals who cannot help themselves and keeping the peace among them."

"What? Ha! No place like that has ever existed, not in a thousand years!"

"This is a thousand years before our time, you know," BlazingWing said, still recovering as he walked up weakly.

"An _alicorn?_" Ben exclaimed. He bowed low. "I had no idea there was an alicorn around here! And, wait, what did you mean by 'a thousand years before your time?'"

"It's a long story," Rainbow Dash explained, rubbing the back of her mane.

"Oh, pardon me," Benjamin laughed, "I haven't asked your names."

"The one and only _Rainbow Dash!_"

"BlazingWing the Alicorn, ruler of the Dark Empire."

"I say, one of you sounds like an awful villain," Ben pointed out.

"Aw, he's a nice guy," Rainbow said, leaning up against her demon friend, "Just let him rub off on you a little bit."

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Ben inquired.

"No, not exactly," BlazingWing admitted.

"Then you can stay in the Castle of Light, if my father, King Diamond, permits it."

"That would be awesome," said Dash.

"Right this way," Ben instructed, leading them down a narrow dirt pathway. Little did they know they were being roped right along into a dirty trap.

END of Episode 7

Note from the author (Caleb/Max Jumper/CMANsurvives):

-Meatloaf and ketchup smell good together. Not so much on the taste, though.

-Sorry for the long wait. I had LOTS of crap to deal with.

To be continued in...

Max Jumper: Guardian of Empires

Episode 8: Finding a Sorceror


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